NintendoPlanningOnUsingiOSToDriveUsersBackToItsOwnHardware

Nintendo still isn't planning on bringing its countless popular titles to the App Store, even if such a move could score huge revenue for the company (albeit at the expense of its hardware sales). However, Nintendo is looking to use smartphones and tablets in order to drive users back to its portable gaming devices, a recent report explains.

The news comes in the form of a King 5 interview with Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer (COO) Reggie Fils-Aime, who notes that the company is in the process of “experimenting” with mobile platforms that could compliment its own hardware products, such as the Nintendo 3DS.

Of course, this doesn't mean we'll be seeing Pokémon or The Legend of Zelda for iOS, but it does suggest that Nintendo's presence on Apple's mobile platform could soon expand.

Fils-Aime said: “We recognize that there are a lot of smartphones and tablets out there, and so what we’re doing is we’re being very smart in how we use these devices as marketing tools for our content.”

He added:

We’re also doing a lot of experimentation of what I would call the little experiences you can have on your smartphone and tablet that will drive you back to your Nintendo hardware. It’s largely going to be much more marketing activity-oriented, but we’ve done little things where there’s some element of gameplay – a movement, a shaking, something like that.

Full gameplay, however, will be reserved for Nintendo devices only, Fils-Aime was careful to stress. Regardless, it'll defeinitely be interesting to see exactly what the company has planned for our iPhones and iPads, and we'll keep you updated on this front.

This past year, folks looking to enjoy a Nintendo-style gaming experience for iOS have been presented with a number of options. Monsters Invade: Oz is perhaps the closest we'll ever get to a Pokémon game for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (it's available free of charge), and the $8.99 Oceanhorn promises users a Legend of Zelda-style experience for iOS.